Nothing Personal (I) (2009)

Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her ... See full summary »

Director:

Urszula Antoniak

Writer:

Urszula Antoniak (scriptwriter)

Stars:

Stephen Rea, Lotte Verbeek, Tom Charlfa

11 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Stephen Rea	...	Martin
Lotte Verbeek	...	Anne
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Charlfa	...	Father picknick
Jackie Coyne	...	Sean Nos dancer
Aindrias De Staic	...	Fiddle player
Fiona Kelly	...	Female bartender
Petey Madigan	...	Accordeon player
Sean McRonnel	...	Younger son picknick
Paul Ronan	...	Man in car
Irene Sanchez	...	Hotelclerk Spain

Storyline

Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her final gesture of taking a ring off her finger signals she is leaving her previous life in Holland behind. She goes to Ireland, where she chooses to lead a solitary, wandering existence, striding through the austere landscapes of Connemara. During her travels, she discovers a house that is home to a hermit, Martin.

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Plot Keywords:

loneliness | nudity | on the road | muteness | hunting | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Ireland Netherlands

Language:

English Dutch Irish German

Release Date:

19 November 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nada Pessoal

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fastnet Films, Family Affair Films, Rinkel Film & TV Productions BV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 85 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Martin: You're too educated to know what's good.

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Soundtracks

"N17"
Written by L. Moran & D. Carton
Performed by The Saw Doctors
Copyright control: IMRO / MCPS
N17 is produced by Mike Scott
And included in the CD "Sing a powerful song" by The Saw Doctors

User Reviews

The art of being alone

A very promising cinema debut. Though most of it is set on the Irish West coast, the whole film has an Eastern European feel to it: sparse dialog, little music, beautiful still shots of landscape and interiors and relentlessly grim weather. I don't find the choice of location at all artificial. If you want to get away from one of the most densely populated countries in the world on a budget, the West of Ireland doesn't seem such a bad choice.

This is a film not so much about loneliness, but about being alone. While the female lead clearly had a very negative experience before the story begins (loss of a loved one or traumatic end of a relationship?), one senses that her being alone in this remote corner of Europe is something she deliberately chose and eventually prefers. It seems male viewers have problems with her arrogance and rudeness, while women (including yours truly) find her strong and full of character. Stephen Rea provides a perfect match for her impulsive behaviour and injects a gentle sense of humour. Fortunately their developing 'relationship' avoids romantic clichés.

I like films that leave you guessing about the characters' inner thoughts, motives and actions. Combined with the powerful imagery, it makes this one linger in the mind long after the house lights have switched on. Although I found the last scene puzzling and out of place and while the storyline might have been tightened up here and there, I am certainly keen to see what Urszula Antoniak comes up with in her next project.